Halifax man who helped wife killer to flee country to be sentenced

A Halifax man who helped his cousin to flee the country after he murdered his wife in Bradford is expected to be sentenced in the next four weeks.

Nouman Qureshi, 33, of Kashmir Park, Pellon, pleaded guilty last week to a charge of perverting the course of justice by arranging for his cousin Danish Irfan to fly out of the United Kingdom after he had killed his wife at their Bradford home in November 2013.

Qureshi’s sentence was adjourned until the end of a trial involving his brother Muhammed and two men from Ilford who were also alleged to have played a part in the conspiracy, but today (Wednesday) that case ended with all three of the co-accused being cleared of any involvement.

Muhammed Qureshi, 39, of Pembroke Avenue, Luton, was discharged on Tuesday after Judge Peter Benson ruled that there was insufficient evidence against him and the jury quickly returned unanimous not guilty verdicts in the cases of the two men from Ilford.

Irfan fled Bradford after murdering his wife Ridda Zanab, but he returned to the United Kingdom in 2014 and was convicted of her murder following a trial.

At the conclusion of the trial Judge Benson indicated that Nouman Qureshi’s sentence hearing should now be listed on a convenient date for counsel within the next four weeks.